APRIL 2. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2010.
RESURRECTION
DEFINITION:
The rising of Christ from the dead.
SCRIPTURE:
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
These verses we have written above were words given by Jesus to Martha when Jesus went to Bethany four days after Lazarus died. He asked her if she believed and Martha responded saying that she did believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God.
This is Resurrection weekend around the world. Today is what we call GOOD FRIDAY. Today we remember the death of Christ because it was on that Friday over 2000 years ago that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. He died for you and for us. He died so that we did not have to pay the penalty for our sins because we are all born as sinners and if we are to have eternal life in heaven with God we have to pay the penalty for the sins we have committed.
BUT --- the good news for all of us is that on GOOD FRIDAY, Jesus did die on that cruel cross to pay the penalty for all of our sins. All we have to do is repent of our sins, ask God for forgiveness, and then accept Jesus as our Savior and live for Him. We will then spend an eternity with Him in heaven.
In three days after His death on the cross we read of the Resurrection of Jesus. This resurrection of our Lord is what makes Christianity different from ALL other religions. The bodies of all the other religious leaders down through the centuries remain in their tombs. Jesus left an empty tomb. Jesus did what he said He would. On Easter Sunday He did rise from that grave and then about 40 days later, after He appeared to enough people to confirm His resurrection, He went back to Heaven and today is preparing a place for us to spend eternity with Him.
THAT IS THE EASTER STORY as it relates to us as believers. Easter is not Easter bonnets, Easter bunnies, Easter eggs or Easter parades. Easter is the joyous celebration of the resurrection of our Lord, our Savior and the reason for our blessed hope to spend an eternity with God.
If for some reason you do not believe that there was a resurrection then you are saying Jesus is a liar and a hoax. If you believe that Jesus did not rise from the dead then you are believing He has no power over death and thus no power to pay the penalty for your sins, which is death. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15: 14 that if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is useless and your faith is also useless. In verse 17 Paul goes on to say that if Christ is not risen that your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
Those who are still in their sins cannot avoid God’s judgment. We are asked in Hebrews 2:3, “How shall we escape if we ignore such a great a salvation?”
We urge you to make this Easter weekend the greatest weekend of your life if you have not accepted the risen Jesus as your Savior --- then do it now. If you have then make this weekend the most joyous celebration time that you have ever experienced knowing that because of the resurrection of Jesus you will spend an eternity with Him in heaven.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 1:1.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
PRAYER:
Make this weekend very special for me and my family. May our priorities be right, making the meaning of this Easter weekend real in our lives. We worship You and rejoice in what You have done for us. We thank You and praise You that You are the resurrected Savior, the giver of our great salvation.
April 4, 2010
Ambition: April 1, 2010
APRIL 1. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY APRIL 1, 2010.
AMBITION
DEFINITION:
An earnest desire for achievement; a willingness to strive for distinction or success.
SCRIPTURE:
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Philippians 2:3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
When we think of having ambition it is usually an inward desire to be successful. What most people seek in order to fulfill their ambition in life is either the acquirement of power, the accumulation of wealth, the attainment of a desired position, or the accomplishment of a goal they have set for themselves.
Ambitions like these can be a positive force in one’s life because it can motivate a person to accomplish things in his or her life that makes them more useable by God. It becomes negative when an ambition becomes self-centered and drives one to go to any length to fulfill his or her personal ambition to glorify self.
The apostle Paul has a different perspective on ambition that we need to look at today and apply to our lives as believers. In the above verse Paul tells us that we are to do nothing through selfish ambition.
Paul tells us that our ambition in life must be to offer ourselves before God as lowly and submissive individuals. We are not to walk with pride, arrogance, haughtiness or being assertive for personal gain. Unfortunately, too often when one succeeds in his or her ambitious desire the result usually is pride and arrogance and a desire to flaunt one’s success.
God wants to bless us and to help us be successful through our ambition, but He also wants us to give Him the glory for any success and be humble with a servant’s heart and attitude. No matter how successful, how rich, or how powerful, the successful Christian must not think of himself as better than others. God wants us to remain humble and be submissive to Him so that our ambition will be for what God wants for us in our life.
For some reason the world looks upon humility as a weakness. Men seem to fear humility as being a sign of being a coward or slavish type of person. They often feel that being considered humble will make them the object of contempt and abuse and cause them to be shunned and overlooked. This is because they are focused on pleasing others rather than pleasing God.
A non-believers success is in themselves. A believer’s success comes from God. God is the strength of our life and He enables us to conquer the impossible. God wants us to walk with humility and not with pride. We are not to brag that it is “I” that is successful. We must never forget that it is God that gives us success. God is the one we should “brag” about. If our ambition is to be the best we can be for our Lord, He will fulfill our ambition.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 1:1.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
PRAYER:
Give me today a new ambition to serve You humbly and faithfully every day of my life. Help me to teach my children to have ambition to be the best they can be for the Lord. Help us as a family, as we study Your Word together, give You the glory and to be humbly grateful for the successes You have given each of us.
AMBITION
DEFINITION:
An earnest desire for achievement; a willingness to strive for distinction or success.
SCRIPTURE:
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Philippians 2:3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
When we think of having ambition it is usually an inward desire to be successful. What most people seek in order to fulfill their ambition in life is either the acquirement of power, the accumulation of wealth, the attainment of a desired position, or the accomplishment of a goal they have set for themselves.
Ambitions like these can be a positive force in one’s life because it can motivate a person to accomplish things in his or her life that makes them more useable by God. It becomes negative when an ambition becomes self-centered and drives one to go to any length to fulfill his or her personal ambition to glorify self.
The apostle Paul has a different perspective on ambition that we need to look at today and apply to our lives as believers. In the above verse Paul tells us that we are to do nothing through selfish ambition.
Paul tells us that our ambition in life must be to offer ourselves before God as lowly and submissive individuals. We are not to walk with pride, arrogance, haughtiness or being assertive for personal gain. Unfortunately, too often when one succeeds in his or her ambitious desire the result usually is pride and arrogance and a desire to flaunt one’s success.
God wants to bless us and to help us be successful through our ambition, but He also wants us to give Him the glory for any success and be humble with a servant’s heart and attitude. No matter how successful, how rich, or how powerful, the successful Christian must not think of himself as better than others. God wants us to remain humble and be submissive to Him so that our ambition will be for what God wants for us in our life.
For some reason the world looks upon humility as a weakness. Men seem to fear humility as being a sign of being a coward or slavish type of person. They often feel that being considered humble will make them the object of contempt and abuse and cause them to be shunned and overlooked. This is because they are focused on pleasing others rather than pleasing God.
A non-believers success is in themselves. A believer’s success comes from God. God is the strength of our life and He enables us to conquer the impossible. God wants us to walk with humility and not with pride. We are not to brag that it is “I” that is successful. We must never forget that it is God that gives us success. God is the one we should “brag” about. If our ambition is to be the best we can be for our Lord, He will fulfill our ambition.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 1:1.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
PRAYER:
Give me today a new ambition to serve You humbly and faithfully every day of my life. Help me to teach my children to have ambition to be the best they can be for the Lord. Help us as a family, as we study Your Word together, give You the glory and to be humbly grateful for the successes You have given each of us.
Accepted: March 31, 2010
March 31. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY MARCH 31, 2010.
ACCEPTED
DEFINITION:
Generally approved; widely regarded as normal.
SCRIPTURE:
To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:6.
Accept one another, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
While we were raising our children we saw firsthand the pressures that were on our children to be accepted by their peers. It seems that “THE WORLD” thrives on being accepted. And when you stop and think, the way a non-believer thinks, ask yourself the question, “What do they have to rely on to obtain acceptance?” Usually it means following the crowd, doing what they do and saying what they want to hear.
Everywhere that the Apostle Paul went among believers he was accepted. But that was not true from the world of non-believers that he ministered to daily. He was persecuted verbally and physically for his preaching Christ and Him crucified. In his “world” centuries ago Paul was not accepted among non-believers, because not only did he not do what they did, he spoke against the sinful things that they did and he did not say what they wanted to hear.
Today we see crowds of protestors on the street to take a stand against what is not acceptable to them. The world of non-believers is quick to react against something or some person they do not accept, especially if it goes against what they seem to believe or against what they live by in their “ME” philosophy. We all have our own ideas and we find it hard to accept what does not conform to them.
We also see the problem of acceptance at times in the church. If someone different attends a service --- maybe his dress, his actions or his beliefs are different --- he or she is often looked upon negatively and not accepted. The same happens for children in school. If a child is different than his or her peers by the way she or he dresses or acts or thinks, he or she is not accepted by “the group.” Think what this does to the self-esteem of the one not accepted?
The scripture is clear. We are all sinners and as sinners we are unacceptable to God but Ephesians 1:6 tells us that God has provided a way for us to be acceptable. By His grace God gave us His Son Jesus to provide that way. “He made us accepted in His beloved.”
We may look different, think different or talk different but God loves us all and all that accept His Son are made acceptable to God. Jesus died for all of us. Romans 5:8 tells us that “God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were yet sinners.”
If God could love us when we were still unacceptable, and what is even more incredible, love us so much that He was willing to give His only Son to die to pay the penalty for our sins, how much more should we be willing to accept others.
Children can be very cruel to other children who are different in some way. They can be unmerciful in mocking and teasing those who do not fit in. As parents we must teach our children to accept others no matter who they are or what they represent. To do this we must look at ourselves first and evaluate how we accept others. Our children will learn from our actions more than our words.
Dottie was with one of our grandchildren and knocked something over. In reaction she said: “That was stupid of me.” Our 4 year old grandchild replied by saying, “Grandma, we do not say stupid.” The thought hit Dottie immediately how important our words are. It also brought home the fact that our words have an impact on children. They hear us. What if I had called someone else stupid? Our grandchild was being not to call other people stupid just as we had taught our children. Our grandchild’s reprimand demonstrates that children hold us as parents and adults accountable to live up to what we teach them.
What a thrill it is to our hearts when we see our grandchildren making Godly principles part of their lives. It also makes us so thankful that our children are raising their children to do what is acceptable in God’s sight.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 1:1.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
PRAYER:
Help me to accept each person that I meet today as one that You love and care for. Help me, both by example and with my words, to teach my children to accept others and to never be cruel to others who are different.
ACCEPTED
DEFINITION:
Generally approved; widely regarded as normal.
SCRIPTURE:
To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:6.
Accept one another, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
While we were raising our children we saw firsthand the pressures that were on our children to be accepted by their peers. It seems that “THE WORLD” thrives on being accepted. And when you stop and think, the way a non-believer thinks, ask yourself the question, “What do they have to rely on to obtain acceptance?” Usually it means following the crowd, doing what they do and saying what they want to hear.
Everywhere that the Apostle Paul went among believers he was accepted. But that was not true from the world of non-believers that he ministered to daily. He was persecuted verbally and physically for his preaching Christ and Him crucified. In his “world” centuries ago Paul was not accepted among non-believers, because not only did he not do what they did, he spoke against the sinful things that they did and he did not say what they wanted to hear.
Today we see crowds of protestors on the street to take a stand against what is not acceptable to them. The world of non-believers is quick to react against something or some person they do not accept, especially if it goes against what they seem to believe or against what they live by in their “ME” philosophy. We all have our own ideas and we find it hard to accept what does not conform to them.
We also see the problem of acceptance at times in the church. If someone different attends a service --- maybe his dress, his actions or his beliefs are different --- he or she is often looked upon negatively and not accepted. The same happens for children in school. If a child is different than his or her peers by the way she or he dresses or acts or thinks, he or she is not accepted by “the group.” Think what this does to the self-esteem of the one not accepted?
The scripture is clear. We are all sinners and as sinners we are unacceptable to God but Ephesians 1:6 tells us that God has provided a way for us to be acceptable. By His grace God gave us His Son Jesus to provide that way. “He made us accepted in His beloved.”
We may look different, think different or talk different but God loves us all and all that accept His Son are made acceptable to God. Jesus died for all of us. Romans 5:8 tells us that “God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were yet sinners.”
If God could love us when we were still unacceptable, and what is even more incredible, love us so much that He was willing to give His only Son to die to pay the penalty for our sins, how much more should we be willing to accept others.
Children can be very cruel to other children who are different in some way. They can be unmerciful in mocking and teasing those who do not fit in. As parents we must teach our children to accept others no matter who they are or what they represent. To do this we must look at ourselves first and evaluate how we accept others. Our children will learn from our actions more than our words.
Dottie was with one of our grandchildren and knocked something over. In reaction she said: “That was stupid of me.” Our 4 year old grandchild replied by saying, “Grandma, we do not say stupid.” The thought hit Dottie immediately how important our words are. It also brought home the fact that our words have an impact on children. They hear us. What if I had called someone else stupid? Our grandchild was being not to call other people stupid just as we had taught our children. Our grandchild’s reprimand demonstrates that children hold us as parents and adults accountable to live up to what we teach them.
What a thrill it is to our hearts when we see our grandchildren making Godly principles part of their lives. It also makes us so thankful that our children are raising their children to do what is acceptable in God’s sight.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 1:1.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
PRAYER:
Help me to accept each person that I meet today as one that You love and care for. Help me, both by example and with my words, to teach my children to accept others and to never be cruel to others who are different.
Abundance: March 2010
March 30. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY MARCH 30, 2010
ABUNDANCE
DEFINITION:
Extremely plentiful; over sufficient quantity or supply; affluence; wealth; overflowing fullness.
SCRIPTURE:
To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. Matthew 25:29.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
As Christians we have in the Lord an abundance of wealth to draw on each day in order to live an abundant life. God wants us to live an abundant life. In John 10:10 He reminds us that He came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. God has also given us a standard and guidelines to live by. As believers we are known by the fruits (commonly known as the fruits of the Spirit) that we show in our daily living.
The Lord has given us through His Holy Spirit these fruits: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And we have an abundance of these fruits available to us if we open up our heart to the Lord and let His Holy Spirit direct us daily. There is no limit to what God can do through us. He is a God of abundance.
We have often said to each other that we have been so fortunate because we have lived our lives in the best of times. God has allowed us to have an abundance of “things” in our lives, far more than we deserved. We have had so much more than our parents had and much, much more than our grandparents ever thought of having. Just think of the many things here in America that we have now that our grandparents 70 years ago never had. We can start the list with things like indoor plumbing, running water, air conditioning, automobiles, microwave ovens, television, telephones, computers, cell phones just to name a few.
During our childhood days we did not have all the things available to kids today but we could walk the streets safely, take a bus with no concerns of potential harm and even go to the center of the city to shop and feel safe. But a few years ago things began to change. Our children and their children have to be aware that we live in a dangerous world and must take precautions for their own safety. Truly we lived in an era of abundance of good things that gave us a great quality of life. We believe that this happened because our generation basically had a strong faith in God and in turn God blessed our country because we worshipped Him and kept His name foremost in our schools, our government offices and our work places. We taught our children that our blessings came from God and if they expected God to bless them in abundance in their lives like He had blessed us that they needed to honor God in every area of their lives.
Even though we lived in an era of abundance as compared to our grandparents, we were very cautious and alert to live wisely. We had an abundance of the blessings that God gave us including talent and time but God chose that our treasures (wealth) was to be limited so we spent carefully so that we always had what we needed but not always what we wanted. We endeavored to always use what God gave us for His purposes and for His glory. It is so important today that each of us know how to use wisely the abundance God gives us.
WE should be so thankful for the abundance we enjoy. We have great concern for the future of our grandchildren. We all need to pray that God will continue to bless our nation, America, with abundance. This will only happen if Americans continue to keep their faith strong in the Lord which was the strength of the foundation our nation was built on.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 1:1.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
PRAYER:
It is my prayer today that You would give me an abundance of the fruits of the Spirit that only You can give me through Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for all that You have given me. It is my prayer that I might now use wisely what You give me so abundantly so that I may honor You and spread the good news of the gospel to a hurting world.
ABUNDANCE
DEFINITION:
Extremely plentiful; over sufficient quantity or supply; affluence; wealth; overflowing fullness.
SCRIPTURE:
To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. Matthew 25:29.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
As Christians we have in the Lord an abundance of wealth to draw on each day in order to live an abundant life. God wants us to live an abundant life. In John 10:10 He reminds us that He came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. God has also given us a standard and guidelines to live by. As believers we are known by the fruits (commonly known as the fruits of the Spirit) that we show in our daily living.
The Lord has given us through His Holy Spirit these fruits: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And we have an abundance of these fruits available to us if we open up our heart to the Lord and let His Holy Spirit direct us daily. There is no limit to what God can do through us. He is a God of abundance.
We have often said to each other that we have been so fortunate because we have lived our lives in the best of times. God has allowed us to have an abundance of “things” in our lives, far more than we deserved. We have had so much more than our parents had and much, much more than our grandparents ever thought of having. Just think of the many things here in America that we have now that our grandparents 70 years ago never had. We can start the list with things like indoor plumbing, running water, air conditioning, automobiles, microwave ovens, television, telephones, computers, cell phones just to name a few.
During our childhood days we did not have all the things available to kids today but we could walk the streets safely, take a bus with no concerns of potential harm and even go to the center of the city to shop and feel safe. But a few years ago things began to change. Our children and their children have to be aware that we live in a dangerous world and must take precautions for their own safety. Truly we lived in an era of abundance of good things that gave us a great quality of life. We believe that this happened because our generation basically had a strong faith in God and in turn God blessed our country because we worshipped Him and kept His name foremost in our schools, our government offices and our work places. We taught our children that our blessings came from God and if they expected God to bless them in abundance in their lives like He had blessed us that they needed to honor God in every area of their lives.
Even though we lived in an era of abundance as compared to our grandparents, we were very cautious and alert to live wisely. We had an abundance of the blessings that God gave us including talent and time but God chose that our treasures (wealth) was to be limited so we spent carefully so that we always had what we needed but not always what we wanted. We endeavored to always use what God gave us for His purposes and for His glory. It is so important today that each of us know how to use wisely the abundance God gives us.
WE should be so thankful for the abundance we enjoy. We have great concern for the future of our grandchildren. We all need to pray that God will continue to bless our nation, America, with abundance. This will only happen if Americans continue to keep their faith strong in the Lord which was the strength of the foundation our nation was built on.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 1:1.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
PRAYER:
It is my prayer today that You would give me an abundance of the fruits of the Spirit that only You can give me through Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for all that You have given me. It is my prayer that I might now use wisely what You give me so abundantly so that I may honor You and spread the good news of the gospel to a hurting world.
Ability: March 29, 2010
March 29.TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY MARCH 29, 2010
ABILITY
DEFINITION:
The power or capacity to act or do mentally, physically, legally, morally or financially; competence based on natural skill.
SCRIPTURE:
If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:11
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
All of us who have worked with children whether in the role of parents, teachers, coaches, youth pastors, Sunday school teachers or counselors quickly see the obvious that no two children are alike and no two children have the same abilities. Some children just have a lot of natural ability and others have to work hard to accomplish the same. Natural ability is not something that can be taught, it is God given.
For many children things come easy. For other children learning is difficult. Some children have ability in one area of endeavor and some in another. As parents of six children and grandparents to twenty it has allowed us to observe literally hundreds of other children living and working side by side our children. What stood out was the difference in their desire to do well and the difference in their work habits. It wasn’t always the one with the greatest natural ability that was the highest achiever. Often it was the one who had the greater desire to do well and thus was willing to work harder and thus rose to the top.
It is important for us to remember that our abilities; children, youth and adults, whether many or few are gifts from God and we should be grateful for what God has given us and not treat them lightly.
When God was instructing Moses on how to construct the Tabernacle tent and where to place the Ark of the Covenant and all the furnishings, He told Moses that He had chosen Bezalel as head craftsman. And God said, “I have filled him with the Spirit of God with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts.” (Exodus 32:3) God also appointed an assistant named Oholiah to help Bezalel. Along with their craft abilities, God gave them the ability to teach others as it would take many to do the work. (Exodus 25:34)
Moses then called upon the people of Israel to use their God given abilities to help. He asked everyone to bring an offering from what they had, gold, silver, bronze, fine yarn, linen, spices, precious stones etc. He also called for the skilled to come help with the construction. Moses did not make it a command. His words were, “everyone who is willing.” In Exodus 35 you can read of all that the people willingly gave from what possessions they had that they gave willingly of their ability to make what was needed for the completion of the Tabernacle. They all used their God given abilities for God’s work and for His glory and did it willingly.
God gives us all certain talents and abilities. He gives to us what he believes we can handle. It is then up to us to accomplish what God expects us to accomplish with what He has given us. So many people today have been given so much ability but they are basically lazy. Many of these people do just enough to get by.
God expects us to use the abilities that he has given us to glorify His name. He gives some the ability to communicate. He then expects the communicator to communicate to others about their faith. To others He gives the ability to work with their hands. To the worker He expects us to work with others to glorify His name.
When raising our six children we stressed the importance of using their God given abilities and not to squander them. We pushed them to work hard at their studies so that they would do well in their preparation for their later years. We realized that they might not get straight “A’s” but we stressed the importance of them always doing their best.
As parents you have to recognize not only their abilities but their limitations. It is also very important to have realistic goals for them and to praise them for their achievements and not to condemn them when they failed to make a goal. We all fail from time to time but we just need to keep on trying to do our best with what abilities God has given us.
One time one of our children came home and told us that his friends parents paid their children for each “A” they received and asked why we did not do the same. In response we asked our child to think about who benefitted from getting the “A’s?” We wanted our children to understand that the grades that they received were a reward for their effort and what they learned through their efforts were going to benefit them in the future and enable them to be more successful in life.
Since our children were capable in getting “A’s” we encouraged them to be grateful that God had given them the ability. We wanted our children to know how blessed they were by God. Many children cannot get an “A” no matter how hard they try but when they do their best God will honor them just as much as those that get the “A’s”
God also gives children abilities so they can communicate the good news of their beliefs in the Lord to their peers and it is the responsibility of parents to bring out those abilities. This is accomplished by the training given by the parent to the child as well as helping the child find the opportunities to use their abilities. This is a responsibility that God expects of us as parents and if we fail we limit our children.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 1:1.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
PRAYER:
Thank you for the abilities that You have given me. Help me to use these abilities first of all to glorify Your name and secondly to help accomplish what You want accomplished by me and my family.
ABILITY
DEFINITION:
The power or capacity to act or do mentally, physically, legally, morally or financially; competence based on natural skill.
SCRIPTURE:
If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:11
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
All of us who have worked with children whether in the role of parents, teachers, coaches, youth pastors, Sunday school teachers or counselors quickly see the obvious that no two children are alike and no two children have the same abilities. Some children just have a lot of natural ability and others have to work hard to accomplish the same. Natural ability is not something that can be taught, it is God given.
For many children things come easy. For other children learning is difficult. Some children have ability in one area of endeavor and some in another. As parents of six children and grandparents to twenty it has allowed us to observe literally hundreds of other children living and working side by side our children. What stood out was the difference in their desire to do well and the difference in their work habits. It wasn’t always the one with the greatest natural ability that was the highest achiever. Often it was the one who had the greater desire to do well and thus was willing to work harder and thus rose to the top.
It is important for us to remember that our abilities; children, youth and adults, whether many or few are gifts from God and we should be grateful for what God has given us and not treat them lightly.
When God was instructing Moses on how to construct the Tabernacle tent and where to place the Ark of the Covenant and all the furnishings, He told Moses that He had chosen Bezalel as head craftsman. And God said, “I have filled him with the Spirit of God with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts.” (Exodus 32:3) God also appointed an assistant named Oholiah to help Bezalel. Along with their craft abilities, God gave them the ability to teach others as it would take many to do the work. (Exodus 25:34)
Moses then called upon the people of Israel to use their God given abilities to help. He asked everyone to bring an offering from what they had, gold, silver, bronze, fine yarn, linen, spices, precious stones etc. He also called for the skilled to come help with the construction. Moses did not make it a command. His words were, “everyone who is willing.” In Exodus 35 you can read of all that the people willingly gave from what possessions they had that they gave willingly of their ability to make what was needed for the completion of the Tabernacle. They all used their God given abilities for God’s work and for His glory and did it willingly.
God gives us all certain talents and abilities. He gives to us what he believes we can handle. It is then up to us to accomplish what God expects us to accomplish with what He has given us. So many people today have been given so much ability but they are basically lazy. Many of these people do just enough to get by.
God expects us to use the abilities that he has given us to glorify His name. He gives some the ability to communicate. He then expects the communicator to communicate to others about their faith. To others He gives the ability to work with their hands. To the worker He expects us to work with others to glorify His name.
When raising our six children we stressed the importance of using their God given abilities and not to squander them. We pushed them to work hard at their studies so that they would do well in their preparation for their later years. We realized that they might not get straight “A’s” but we stressed the importance of them always doing their best.
As parents you have to recognize not only their abilities but their limitations. It is also very important to have realistic goals for them and to praise them for their achievements and not to condemn them when they failed to make a goal. We all fail from time to time but we just need to keep on trying to do our best with what abilities God has given us.
One time one of our children came home and told us that his friends parents paid their children for each “A” they received and asked why we did not do the same. In response we asked our child to think about who benefitted from getting the “A’s?” We wanted our children to understand that the grades that they received were a reward for their effort and what they learned through their efforts were going to benefit them in the future and enable them to be more successful in life.
Since our children were capable in getting “A’s” we encouraged them to be grateful that God had given them the ability. We wanted our children to know how blessed they were by God. Many children cannot get an “A” no matter how hard they try but when they do their best God will honor them just as much as those that get the “A’s”
God also gives children abilities so they can communicate the good news of their beliefs in the Lord to their peers and it is the responsibility of parents to bring out those abilities. This is accomplished by the training given by the parent to the child as well as helping the child find the opportunities to use their abilities. This is a responsibility that God expects of us as parents and if we fail we limit our children.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in John 1:1.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
PRAYER:
Thank you for the abilities that You have given me. Help me to use these abilities first of all to glorify Your name and secondly to help accomplish what You want accomplished by me and my family.
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